Raubichi on the outskirts of Minsk Belarus has a long history as a major biathlon venue, having hosted the World Championships in 1974, 1982 and 1990. As the sport has grown and advanced, so have the venues which need periodic upgrades to stay in step with the times.
Over the past three years, Raubichi has gotten a complete makeover from top to bottom. It is now as modern as any biathlon venue in the world and well prepared to host this week’s IBU Youth Junior World Championships and other major competitions in the future.
Our video “Raubichi: Rebirth of a World Class Venue” filmed before the snow started flying, takes a look at transformed venue.

YuliyaZhuravok, third in individual at the OECH, won the junior women's 12.5K individual in 37:54.1, with clean shooting. In the junior men's individual in the afternoon Aristide Begue of France also shot clean to move up from his Silver medal last year to Gold this year, finishing the 15K course in 39:12.

The 2015 IBU Youth/Junior World Championships in the renewed sports complex Raubichi, Belarus kicked off today with the youth individual competitions. The first Gold medals of the Championships went to Anna Kryvonos of Ukraine and Kirill Streltsov of Russia. Kryvonos had a single penalty to claim the title in 30:09.1, while Streltsov ahd two penalties on his way to a 35:04.8 win.
Yesterday the official opening ceremonies were held in Minsk, which is situated 20K from Raubichi. 37 nations with 95 youth men, 94 youth women, 101 junior men and 73 junior women, registered here and will participate in 16 competitions. Athletes from non-biathlon countries like Belgium, Brazil, Denmark and New Zealand came to Raubichi as well and will try to show their best on the tracks.

After a day of sprints, not many athletes were out celebrating Valentine's Day in Oslo, since there were relays ahead on Sunday. Still, the holiday was a good reason for a bit of fun, led by Gabriela Soukalova, Lowell Bailey and Jean Guillaume Beatrix and a dozen other biathletes. Gabi starts singing "It's in His Kiss" and then the fun begins in the Holmenkollen Park Hotel Dining Room.
Gabriela Soukalova Sings, "It's in the Kiss"
Our Video "Gabi, Lowell, Jean Gui, & Friends "It's in the Kiss" tells the whole story of a biathlon Valentine's Day in Oslo.
Lots of special thanks for this video to to Dasha and the Belarusian women's team, Elisa Gasparin and her Swiss teammates and Amanda Lightfoot, plus obviously Gabriela, Lowell and Jean Guillaume for their time and talent!

Anton Shipulin took control of the men's relay form Germany's Simon Schempp in the final 50 meters to seal the victory with his teammates Evgeniy Garanichev, Maxim Tsvetkov and Dmitry Malyshko in 1:16:16.6, with one penalty and five spare rounds. Second place Germany used just six spares but finished .5 seconds back. Third place went to Austria, also with six spares, but 50.9 seconds back.
Czech Republic finished fourth, with Canada in fourth and France in sixth place.

The Czech Republic's women's relay team of Eva Puskarcikova, Gabriela Soukalova, Jitka Landova, and Veronika Vitkova won their third relay of the season in 1:11:10.9, with five spare rounds. Second went to Italy, 28.3 seconds back with just two spares, while France took third place, 45.9 seconds back, also with five spare rounds.
Germany finished fourth, with Russia in fifth and Ukraine in sixth.

Darya Domracheva of Belarus had one of those perfect days when the targets dropped and the skis flew over the soft snow giving her the victory in the women's sprint in 20:35.7. Germany's Laura Dahlmeier also shot clean but finished second, 14.3 seconds back. Third went to France's Marie Dorin Habert, with one penalty, 29.9 seconds back. This was Dorin Habert's first podium of the season, having given birth to her daughter last September.
Yellow Bib to Domracheva
Kaisa Mäkäräinen finished 24th with three penalties, 1:07.3 back and relinquished the Yellow Bib to Domracheva, in this final individual competition before the IBU WCH next month.
Fourth went her teammate Anais Bescond, who shot clean but was 2.7 behind Dorin Habert. Gabriela Soukalova of Czech Republic, with one penalty was fifth, 35.6 seconds back while Dorothea Wierer of Italy was sixth, with one penalty, 48.9 seconds back.

Oslo is a city of many faces from the harbor at the top of the Oslo fjord and the Royal Palace to the dynamic Holmenkollen Ski Stadium. It is the only BMW IBU World Cup Biathlon venue in a major city which adds to the uniqueness of this week's competitions.
Enjoy our quick look around the city in or "Postcard from Oslo."